When “He Bear, She Bear” was released in 1974 (Random House Beginner Books #20), it was a distinct departure from Stan and Jan’s previous Berenstain Bears books. It was the first book that significantly explored Bear Country itself and its many residents. Most of the early Berenstain Bears books focused exclusively on Mama, Papa, and Small Bear … More Transforming “He Bear, She Bear” into “The Berenstain Bears On the Job”

With the recent release of The Berenstain Bears: The Very First Christmas (Living Lights, October 2015), there’s been a lot of discussion among collectors about their favorite Berenstain Bears Christmas book(s). I’m going to come right out and say it: “The Berenstain Bears’ Christmas Tree” is not only my favorite Berenstain Bears Christmas book, it’s … More Berenstain Bears Christmas Books and Memorabilia

One of the most beautiful – and treasured – parts of my collection are the ceramic items produced by Ebeling & Reuss in 1983. The company made a wide variety of figurines, music boxes, plates, and decorative kitchen items (mugs, pitcher, cookie jar), and these are all LISTED HERE. This post features the 47 figurines, … More Berenstain Bears figurines – Ebeling & Reuss (1983)

The Berenstain Bears are recognized today for the famous scripted logo, but it took nearly 20 years before Stan and Jan developed the now-famous cursive branding. In fact, the phrase “Berenstain Bears” wasn’t even used at all in most of the early books. In 1964, Dr. Seuss added a subtitle to “The Bike Lesson,” the 2nd book … More Berenstain Bears logo history

There was no bird and it was never Berenstein. People are often curious about the spelling of “Berenstain,” a phenomenon that’s much older than the Bears themselves. As Stan Berenstain recalled in Down a Sunny Dirty Road, the 2002 autobiography he co-wrote with wife Jan, even his fourth grade teacher had questions: “On the very … More Berenstain Bears Tell the Truth: It’s Always Been BerenstAin (not BerenstEin)

[Editor’s Note: click on photos/illustrations for larger versions] It’s difficult to explain the shock I felt when I first discovered the type of books and comics Stan and Jan Berenstain wrote before they came up with The Berenstain Bears. I suspect most fans of the Berenstain Bears have had the same feeling: it’s quite … More Before “The “Berenstain Bears” – Classic Stan and Jan adult comics